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You pretty much hit it in your first response. You have the stuff, so that is a good reason to use it. If you have a 383 and think that going through a bunch of extra effort to swap to a 360 Mag will make for a much more efficient package, you'll end up not getting much reward for the effort. Really, fuel efficiency has never been a strong point with any 360 I've ever seen.



I'm not going to argue with you, because mainly i cant... i have zero experience with 360's, aside from one bone stock Volare that i never turned a wrench on (that actually got really good mileage... but had ridiculously long rear gears). But i just cant see why a 360 should be so bad on gas, especially a Magnum. I've heard that from so many people, many good engine guys even... but it is hard to make sense ov... on paper it looks like it should be better than a 340/350/351... Personally i think its just the vehicles they came in (mid-late 70's smog-boats, anything in the 80's, and very heavy 90's trucks/vans), and the type ov driving seen in those vehicles. Thats my theory anyways.

Or maybe the Magnum 318 is a better option. I'd hate to give up even more speed... but again this will be a light car... maybe i can get away with it.

And yeah... i understand the whole 'buy a $20000 Honda to save 10mpg, or keep the 15mpg old car and spend that $20000 on gas' catch-22 argument. In MY experience... having always been poor i've always found the better mileage car simply gets used a lot more. Saving the money spent on efficiency upgrades to spend on gas instead never EVER works for me. That money, if not spent on a better car/engine... just gets spent on other stuff instead and i'm STILL stuck not going anywhere because my car gets crappy mpg. I NEVER have money kicking around/saved.

That said i AM using the 383 right now... i'd be an idiot not to. I'm just thinking ahead on the SB stuff.

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With your goals (20mpg?), I probably wouldn't go with that big overlap WL cam either.



I know that one will hurt... but like i said, its my ONE guilty pleasure i'll allow myself. Never had a car with a big cam before.

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The 383 is actually a very good all around street engine. For MPG and good horsepower, I would build it with the CC heads, a short cam with wide lsa and big exhaust split (stock Magnum cam maybe; 1.6rr would help on the power side), work the heads for flow and run tight quench. I always like your posts, PR, you seem to have a good perspective. Give some more details about your combo.
-dulcich



Heh... thanks. I love the 383, always have. So much more than the 440. I like everything about the lowdeck. My original plan was to build a nasty 400 stock-stroke lowdeck and scream it to the moon (talk about your awesome MPG...). Had the B1's, tunnel ram, 2 230 blocks to choose from, etc. Never got off the ground because i couldn't get past the $1000 buy-in for the rocker system. I still have a lot ov good parts for lowdecks.

Details huh? well, how about my proposed combo...

-67 383 2-bbl engine (low comp, i probably dont wanna know... JohnRR depresses me every time he brings it up) unrebuilt and staying that way
-Holley SD intake, basic mild plenum mods that worked VERY well on my 440, no heat crossover
-Many different spacers to play with
-Holley 800DP or Street Avenger 670 to choose from. K&N stub stack
-alum water pump and housing, single groove stock pulleys (car has no accessories)
-MSD Pro-Billet dist. Will be getting the MSD box too.
-Chrome oil pan (deeper, stiffer than stock, gonna paint it engine color, i dont like chrome)
-Alum valve covers
-Mini starter (Dakota)
-Hedman shorty headers with modified collectors (because the stock ones suck)
OR
-Long tubes (whatever i can afford)
-3" mandrel X-pipe duals w Spintechs and T/A style exit

Not yet acquired...
-Whiplash cam (like the sound, the modern Chrysler lobes, seems to make good power, REALLY like the cylinder pressure building effect)
-Machining on another pair o' 516 heads i have. Was gonna install some new Ferrea 1.81's (that i have already), port 'em as far as i dare, cut the guides, shave 'em as far as i dare.

I may or may not do the head swap before dumping the plant in the car. If the guides NEED to be cut for a .518" cam (they dont for the Mopar .509"...???) then i guess i'll have to, but i'd really like to avoid it for now. That machining is gonna add up i'm sure...

There is no money for a rebuild, so no quench unfortunately. I looked far and wide for a 68-9 383 Magnum runner, hoping i could get closer to quench and better compression... but never found one. The 67 came out ov a very nice 300, and i knew the owner.

Rest ov the car:

-Lakewood scattershield (have block saver too)
-McLeod PP (have to buy a different clutch disc though)
-Hurst Super Shifter 3 with Pistol grip
-833 out ov 70 340 Cuda
-8 3/4" rear (not in car, have yet to put it together or find a pumpkin... the sure grip i had turned out to be junk)
-Might get tricky and mickey-mouse an aluminum driveshaft from something at the wrecker (dont have a shaft yet)
-Aluminum rad (junkyard)
-Electric fuel pump

The car is a 70 Challenger 6 cyl/3speed car. The final first-phase curb weight with the big block (and now that i just sold my FG hood, dammit) should be around 3150lbs. And yes... it WILL be that light. I'm a weight-reduction master (and dont even own a hole-saw).